


So I Married an Axe Murderer

by g0lightly



Category: Pretty Little Liars
Genre: Amnesia, F/M, Future Fic, Hospitals, Marriage, Memory Loss, Pretty Little Liars - Freeform, Spencer and Toby, Spencer/Toby, Spoby
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-06-27
Updated: 2013-06-04
Packaged: 2017-11-08 16:52:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/445382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/g0lightly/pseuds/g0lightly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When 20-year-old Mrs. Spencer Cavanaugh develops amnesia after an accident in the library, what happens when the last thing she remembers is being sixteen and thinking that her now-husband is a cold-blooded killer? All Toby wants is for his wife to love him like she did just a few days before, but he fears that may not be entirely possible.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own no part of Pretty Little Liars (unless of course we're counting my ownership of the first season DVD set).

This takes place in 2015 (4 years after the Homecoming episode and about 3 years after current episodes). Spencer and Toby are both 20.

* * *

Spencer Cavanaugh _would_ reach the copy of  Les Miserables at the top of the stacks.

Toby stood just behind her, patiently waiting for his wife to complete her weekly library run. She had bet him that she could finish all 1488 pages of Victor Hugo's epic before Toby could finish the 1048 page Gone with the Wind, a challenge he was ready to accept.

"Sure you don't need a hand up there, Spence?" Toby inquired.

Ever stubborn, Spencer declined. "I've got this; it's not even an inch away now…"

Spencer was so intent on grabbing the thick novel; she didn't notice a hooded figure push the giant bookshelf over on her, not even when Toby shouted for her and tried to move her away from the tumbling shelf, but the books had engulfed her before he could save her.

Something particularly heavy made a prominent 'thud' against Spencer's head. She didn't have time to decide if it was a large book or a heavy shelf, her head was numb, and everything had gone completely black.

* * *

_It had been more than an hour since sixteen-year-old Spencer Hastings had accepted the fact that she wouldn't be sleeping tonight._

_Here it was, only hours after Homecoming, and she sat at the foot of her bed with cup of decaffeinated English tea, trying to absorb the plot of the somewhat mindless YA novel Hanna had recommended to her, but Spencer's mind was far from the little pink book._

_Spencer's hatred for that foul Toby Cavanaugh was raging._

_For 2 hours, she suffered from the worst worry-induced stomachache she could recount, only having her pains ailed when Mrs. Fields texted her confirming Emily's safety._

_She curled up by her pillows, tangled in her duvet, just trying to be grateful that she now knew that Toby was Ali's killer for sure._

_Spencer Hastings hated Toby Cavanaugh with everything she had._

_He was a demon; she had every right to hate him._

_As sleep finally took its full reign, Spencer hoped she wouldn't see Toby's unmistakable blue eyes in her dreams_

* * *

However blurry her sight was upon waking up, Spencer knew she wasn't in her bedroom.

The walls were white, only emphasized by the fluorescent lights shining from the ceiling. Nothing felt very lived-in, only unfriendly and obstinate.

Spencer turned to see the very blue eyes she was dreading before she last drifted off.

He stared back at her and smiled with a strange sense of warmth, which she would have found comforting if she didn't know he was her best friend's killer.

Now that she took in the rest of him, she noticed that he had changed drastically since she'd seen him at homecoming the previous night. He had cut his hair into a shorter, almost professional style, and he'd traded in his leather jacket for a crisp button-down; even Peter Hastings would approve.

"Spencer?" Toby asked.

The girl jumped back in her bed. _Ali's killer was right in front of her._

Her face was full of terror, and Toby noticed. "Are you OK? I've been worried."

"WH-Why… Why are you here?" Spencer squeaked, inching further and further away from him.

Toby's smile fell. "Oh my God." He ran a hand through his newly short hair. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"Why do you need to know?" Spencer fired at Toby.

If she didn't hate him so much, Toby's expression would have broken her heart. "I'll… I'll fetch you the doctor."

With that, he was gone, and Spencer breathed a sigh of relief.

Her peace was short-lived; a doctor entered almost immediately following Toby's departure.

"Mrs. Cavanaugh!" A tall man in a white coat exclaimed. "So glad to see you wake. How is your head?"

Spencer glanced around the room, searching for the possible Mrs. Cavanaugh to whom he was referring. "…Were you addressing me, sir?"

"Oh my," the doctor murmured. "The amnesia is worse than I thought."

_Amnesia?_

* * *

Update coming tomorrow!


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spencer learns the conditions of her seemingly less-than-ideal reality and begins falling for Toby again.

"Mrs. Cav—I mean, Spencer- How old are you?" The doctor asked.

Spencer cocked an eyebrow. Wasn't all of her data on a clipboard somewhere nearby? Why did he need to ask her? "I'm sixteen."

He nodded. "Great, great. Now what's the year?"

"It's 2010, of course." Spencer answered with her finest confidence.

"Your name?"

"Spencer Hastings."

The doctor, whose nametag identified him as Dr. Brigg, shuffled his feet. "I'm sorry to tell you that you are wrong. Spencer, you have severe amnesia."

"What are the correct answers to those questions, then?" Spencer croaked.

Dr. Brigg paced as he spoke. "This is going to be very odd for you, so please, take a deep breath and try to relax."

Spencer did as he said and braced herself for even further shock.

"You are 20 years old, the year is 2014, and your full name is Spencer Cavanaugh, formerly Hastings prior to your marriage to Toby Cavanaugh two years ago." Dr. Brigg explained, watching her nervously.

"T-Toby Cavanaugh?"

Dr. Brigg nodded. "He's hardly left you since you hit your head. Now, do you remember him at all?"

Spencer wasn't sure how to answer that question. Honesty would only induce awkwardness, and a lie would only create inaccuracy. "Not in a good way, to be honest."

"Believe me, you really aren't alone. Many people go into amnesia and don't remember their spouses or friends. In fact, several wakes to discover someone they love dearly has died. Now, do you recall being friends with an Aria?"

Spencer nodded, worried that he mentioned her right after his monologue about lost loved ones. "She's one of my best friends… Is she alright?"

Dr. Brigg gave her a reassuring smile. "Oh, she's doing wonderful! Reason I ask is that she's been in and out of here and wanted me to notify her when you regain consciousness. I had been thinking that she would be the best person to explain the last four years to you."

"Please – The sooner you can get her in, the better."

A knock at the door woke Spencer out of her almost-sleep.

"Come in!" She called to the door.

"Spence?" A familiar voice asked. "It's Aria."

The bed-ridden girl sighed in relief. "Oh, Aria, thank God, you have no idea how confused I've been all –"

Spencer stopped talking when she realized just how different 20-year-old Aria was from 16-year-old Aria.

Though she looked definitely more grown-up, a pattern Spencer was noticing in all of her visitors thus far, the most noticeable difference was indisputably, the otherwise-petite young woman's protruding belly.

"Spencer, are you OK?" Aria appeared confused for a moment. She then took a glance down towards her mid-section and chuckled. "Oh! Sorry, I guess you're not used to that."

"The way it seems, I'm not used to a lot of things." Spencer lamented. "But, congrats, Aria! Who's the lucky baby daddy? Do I know him?"

Aria scrunched her face in thought. "That depends on the last thing you remember…"

"Homecoming 2010."

Horror took over Aria's expression. "No. That's not…"

Spencer attempted to sit up. "I'm sorry if that's somehow terrible to you, but imagine what it's like for me, to wake up and find myself apparently married to my best friend's murderer!"

Aria shook her head vigorously. "Toby never did anything wrong. He went through so much hell and then Jenna went and framed him for Ali's death! You need to talk to him, he thinks you hate him, and he loves you more than anything."

The silence rang between both young women, neither sure what else to say.

"I don't understand," Spencer stated, "His file – and what about that sketchy tattoo of his?"

As she stood, Aria concluded her speech. "Talk to him, please?"

Spencer groaned as a child would after his mother handed him a list of chores.

Aria gave a tiny grin. "Glad to see that amnesia didn't take out your stubbornness."

"Thanks for dropping by, Aria." Spencer bid her friend.

"Take care, Spence!"

"Hi, Toby." Spencer greeted her husband as he came into the room, looking very fragile. "I have a lot to ask you."

He smiled and pulled a chair up by her bed. "Ask anything."

With the boy – man now – she had feared and hated for such a long time sitting so near to her, Spencer's skin tingled, and she suppressed a shudder.

"How did I end up unconscious?" She asked.

Toby nearly reached for Spencer's hands out of instinct, but stopped himself when he remembered that she was still terrified of him. "It was three days ago now. We make weekly runs to the library and whenever we go, we make bets on who can finish their book first. You were reaching for a copy of Les Miserables on a top shelf when the entire stack just… Toppled over you."

Did you push it? She almost asked. Instead, she settled on a safer question for him. "Where are we? I know this isn't Rosewood Medical."

"We're in New York."

Spencer lurched forward in surprise. "New York! What are we doing in New York?"

"We attend New York University here. Sorry to tell you that you're the first Hastings in five generations not to attend an Ivy League school, but you have to understand that we couldn't be that obvious." Toby explained.

Confused, Spencer asked, "What do you mean, we couldn't be 'obvious'?"

"Around the time we got together, you were a person of interest in Ali's murder." Toby informed Spencer.

She gasped.

"I know you have a lot to take in, Spencer, but try to bear with me." He soothed. "Anyway, your parents were against the idea of us being together because they were afraid that your association with me would only pit the town against you, but you thought they were being ridiculous and we continued to see each other."

"But… Why was I a suspect?" Spencer wondered.

Toby moved closer to her and she flinched. "Ali had this bracelet, one with her name on it. She was wearing it when she died, and police found your DNA on it."

"Oh."

"Of course, that information was eventually proved inaccurate, but someone just kept on framing you and your friends." He told her. "Your parents never really adjusted to the idea of us, and as soon as you graduated, we left Rosewood and got married."

Spencer wasn't very sure about how she felt when Toby mentioned their marriage. Given, he was innocent, but she hardly knew him.

"Do we have children, Toby?"

He shook his head. "We're waiting until we finish college."

"I'm really sorry, Toby."

"Sorry for what?"

"I just…" Spencer couldn't articulate. "You've been so patient and I've put you through so much, and here I am, last thing I remember is thinking you killed my best friend."

Toby smiled gently. "Spence, you were attacked by a bookshelf – A huge one, at that. Don't be apologizing."

She looked down. "I just think you should know that I wish I could remember."

"That's all I need to hear."


	3. Forgetting Forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To reaquaint Spencer with her new life, Toby tries to help her remember the past--specifically, their love.

“Can you see this light, Mrs. Cavanaugh?” asked Dr. Brig as he shined the pen-sized LED flashlight into her pupils.

“Yes.”

Dr. Brigg scribbled something on his notepad in the chicken-scratch handwriting that seemed to be a requirement for all doctors and stood in thought for a moment.

“Any kind of conclusion, doctor?” Spencer implored.

He took one final look at his notepad before answering her. “The good news is you should slowly be gaining back your memory over time. It could take anywhere between four and six months for you to regain all of your memories, but regular brain activities such as crosswords or Sudoku will increase your chances, as well as seeing old tokens or mementoes.”

Spencer nodded. “Toby mentioned something about bringing some of my things over, seeing if it jogged my memory.”

“Ah. I wondered why he was gone. If I’m not mistaken, this is the first time he’s left the hospital.”

Guilt crossed Spencer. “It is?”

Dr. Brigg nodded. “He’s camped out these past few nights on the couch over there. Wouldn’t leave your side. Not until you asked him to, he didn’t.”

If Dr. Brigg had understood Spencer's guilt, he would have stopped talking long go.

“It’s almost 8; he should be back soon…” she trailed off.

Spencer didn’t have to wait much longer; within minutes, Toby returned to Spencer’s room with a heavy-looking backpack slung over his shoulder.

He smiled before greeting her. “Good morning, Spencer.”

She nodded politely in response. “Morning.”

“I brought a few things back from our apartment, things that might rekindle some sort of memories.” Toby explained as he sat at the edge of the hospital bed.

Spencer sat up, intently watching Toby pull a book out of the backpack.

“Recognize this?” He asked, passing it off to her.

Upon further inspection, Spencer saw that the title of the book was in French, L’attrape Coeurs.

After turning it over in her hands a few times, she spoke: “This is the French edition of Catcher in the Rye, isn’t it?”  
Toby confirmed her notion with something just above a murmur. “It is. What’s the significance?”

“It…” She tried, running her fingers across the cover. “I saw you reading this before. I mean, not in French, but, I know you read it.”

“I did, yes. But why is it important that this is the French edition?” Toby asked.

Spencer knew he was only trying to help, but it she hated feeling so helpless and without knowledge. 

“I bought this in the foreign bookstore, the one down the road from Rosewood High.” Spencer recollected.

“Do you remember why?” Toby wondered.

There was a big, spacious porch, though Spencer couldn’t have picked up a stronger sense of foreboding. In her mind’s eye, it was familiar, so familiar, but exactly where she was wasn’t clear until she watched herself knock on the door and meet a familiar eye.

“I took it to your house. I was there to tutor you, wasn’t I?”

Toby couldn’t hide his joy. “You did.”

A Scrabble board reading ‘Goofball’, one pair of truck keys, and a snapshot of a motel room later, Spencer could feel bits of memory seaming them back together. Certainly, many aspects of her forgotten life still did not make sense, but she was content with the knowledge she had gained. But most of all, she valued the memories of Toby and his sweet nature. How Spencer had forgotten such a thing, she did not know.

“I have some home videos that might help you.” Toby announced as he pulled a laptop out of his backpack.  
He booted the computer and clicked on a little frame.

Spencer scooted closer to him and craned her neck to watch as the screen turned to an image of Spencer, older than she remembered being, but younger than she was currently, walking into what appeared to be a small, but well-maintained apartment. The screen was half-obscured by a shudder-like thing, as though the camera was hidden in a closet.

“Toby?” Video-Spencer called. “Where are you?”

“Down here, by the couch!”

Spencer watched herself come down by Toby, where he sat arranging a game of Scrabble.

She chuckled. “Haven’t seen you with a game of Scrabble in a while. What’s the occasion?”

“Well, not only do you graduate tomorrow, but tonight is the sixth month anniversary of you moving in.” He explained. “I wanted to do something special.

Onscreen, Spencer chuckled and kissed Toby full on the lips. “I love you so much.” Her off-screen counterpart blushed.

The two played Scrabble for a good couple of minutes, when Toby suddenly picked up all of the pieces he was saving and spread them across the board.

“Toby, I’m pretty sure that’s against like, 10 rules –“ But she stopped when she saw what the tiles spelled out.

I LOVE YOU SPENCER  
MARRY ME

Both Spencers made the same noise of pleasant surprise, though the younger woman was more active in her acceptance of his proposal: She lunged across the Scrabble board to Toby, shouting “Yes!” the whole time.

She settled her head into the crook of her new fiancée’s neck and he put a modest, but glimmering ring on her finger.  
“I’m sorry there are no fireworks, or professional dancers, or --“ 

Spencer kissed him so he’d stop talking. “For the record, a good proposal doesn’t need anything like that.”

The screen faded to black, and Toby couldn’t help but notice the small smile remaining on Spencer’s face.

“Do you have the wedding?” She asked.

“I sure do," he said, then inserted a different disc into the laptop.

For a wedding funded on the conservative salaries of two young, minimum-wage-working college students, Spencer thought it was beautiful. 

She and Toby stood at the top of a skyscraper somewhere, where the sky was an even more vibrant shade of blue than something found on default computer wallpaper. Little whisps of pure white cloud were scattered here and about, giving the sunlight a sort of filter.

Spencer’s cream dress was strapless and all lace, the seam of which highlighted her slim silhouette. On one side was Hanna, Emily, and Aria, all beaming in their mint-colored frocks.

Toby was handsome in his black tuxedo, and to his side stood a couple of groomsmen Spencer did not recognize.  
There was, however, no audience.

“There’s no one there.” The off-screen Spencer remarked at the videos end.

Toby smiled. “That’s the funny thing about eloping.”

“Why did we elope?”

He shuffled a bit. “Remember what I said about your parents not being exactly in favor of us?”

Spencer nodded.

“They didn’t find out we got married until we sent them postcards.” He chuckled. “Boy, when they found out… I hope you remember that soon, it was hilarious.”

Spencer smiled politely. “Me, too.

“Anything else you’d like to know?”

“Actually, yes.” Spencer prepared herself to answer the question that had been on her mind since she woke. “Toby? Who’s A?”


	4. Regressions

Toby faltered. “I really don’t know if I should –“

“What do you mean?” Spencer asked in a manner that emphasized her growing suspicion.

“It… When you found out, it was rather traumatic. The doctor told me to let any sort of experiences like that just come back to you on their own, or else –"

She stared at him with a vicious intensity, far different from the gaze she had applied only moments before. “You’re hiding something.”

“Your most recent memories of me are less than the best. I get that. But I promise, I have absolutely nothing to hide, Spencer. Especially not from you.” He coaxed.

“If that was at all true, you would just tell me!” Spencer barked.

Toby reached for Spencer’s hand, but she withdrew it from his reach. “Honey – I mean, Spencer, this was hard enough for you the first time. Right now, you have severe brain damage. Some things are just going to have to wait, and I’m sorry."

“Get out.” Demanded his wife.

Toby bit his lip.

In that moment, Spencer went directly back to the hateful mood in which she awoke. “I married my own tormentor!”

Before he could defend himself, Spencer delivered a heavy blow to Toby’s ribcage.

“I know you don’t remember why,” he gasped, clutching his own torso, “but I love you, and I know you feel the same way, I need you to.”

“Well, I don’t! I don’t at all! I hate you!”

Spencer was about to push Toby to the ground when Doctor Brigg burst in, obviously frantic. “Mrs. Cavanaugh!”

Spencer lurched forth. “Don’t call me that!” Her voice was now a screech.

“What’s wrong here?” Brigg inquired. “Why, it wasn’t long ago at all when I was just leaving here and the two of you were watching your wedding. All was going so well.”

Toby stirred from his place at the foot of the bed. “You have to understand, Dr. Brigg, the last thing Spencer remembers, I was the prime suspect for the murder of her closest friend.”

“Not to mention the concentration of painkillers going through her right now. Toby, don’t take to heart what she’s said to you.” Dr. Brigg reassured.

At last, Spencer rejoined the conversation. “You’re putting words in my mouth! He’s omitting information to me, and I’m sorry, but that is damn suspicious. “

“Spencer, you need rest.” Doctor Brigg attempted.

“You don’t know a single thing about what I need! I need answers, but most importantly, I need him out!” she roared.  
Toby stood. “I’ll go. She’ll be better if I’m not around.”

“Mr. Cavanaugh, it’s really better for her memory that you stay.” The doctor suggested.

The younger man shook his head and seemed to suppress a choke. He started to say something as he looked back to Spencer, but just turned back around when she gave him an unfriendly glare. “I just want her to be happy.”

After Toby exited his wife’s room, he sank into a bench. 

He wouldn’t go home. Just seeing her things around, pictures, textbooks still cracked open on the couch would hurt him far too much. Nevertheless, it was better than telling her the painful truth she desired.

“Toby?” A familiar voice asked.

He turned to see Hanna and Caleb wandering towards the doorway.

On their sighting, Toby almost smiled. “What are the two of you doing all the way up here?”

“We heard about Spence… Is she awake?” Hanna explained.

Toby nodded. “She is. Problem is, the last thing she remembers, it looked like it was me who killed Ali.” His head fell to his   
hands. “God, do you know what it’s like when the love of your life hates you?”

Caleb gave his friend a pat of consolation. “But her memory’s coming back, right?”

“Eventually.”

Hanna set her hand on the doorknob. “Look, I’m not going to sit around here twiddling my thumbs while you’re out here looking outright miserable. Spencer needs one hell of a reality check.”

“Hanna, don’t.” Toby warned.

“Why not? She needs to hear the truth!”

Toby took a moment to mull over his reasoning. “She’s very fragile right now. Please, just… Let her come to terms with everything at her own pace.”

The young woman nodded. “I’m assuming I’m not to mention anything about A, am I?”

“Let her suppress that memory as long as she can, Hanna.”


End file.
